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THE GBABGEBS, 


AND OTHER STORIES. 



Miss 8. O’H. DICKSON, 

ii 7 


Author of “ Howard McPhlinn,” “ The Story of Marthy 


Guessing at Heroes,” etc. 


RICHMOND, VA.: 

The Presbyterian Committee of Publication. 

(L 


X TWO COPIES RECEIVED, 

library of Congres% 

Office of th9 

DEC 1 6 1P99 

Register of Copyrights'* 


49844 



Copyright 

by 

JAMES K. IIAZEN, Secretary of Publication , 
1899. 


Printed by 

Whittet & Shepperson, 
Richmond, Va. 


SECOND COPY, 

% VVfe O 


/ 


DEDICATED 


TO 


MY SUNDAY-SCHOOL CLASS. 



CONTENTS. 


THE GRANGERS. 


CHAPTER I. page. 

A Happy Family, ...... 5 

CHAPTER II. 

Why Jerry Lost the Prize, . . . .14 

CHAPTER III. 

Rob’s Lesson, 25 

CHAPTER IY. 

Friday Evenings at Sunny Side, . . .32 

CHAPTER Y. 

Sunday at Sunny Side, 38 

CHAPTER YI. 

Conclusion, 47 


Toonsie, 53 

How Jim Became a Missionary, . . .64 


4 


Contents. 


Page. 

Fred’s Missionary Society of One —What They 

Did, 73 

Nan’s Cup of Cold Water, . • . . .85 

Only an English Sparrow, . . . .91 

The Snow-Bank, 98 


-1 


The Grangers. 


CHAPTER I. 
a happy family. 

“rp HE Grangers are a very happy family,” 
said Aunt Susie, “and I would like to 
tell yon why, children.” 

It was a rainy afternoon and the Holmes 
children could not go out, so they had gathered 
in Aunt Susie’s room, and were begging for 
tales. 

Aunt Susie was Mr. Holmes’ unmarried 
sister, and spent most of her time with them; 
but she had just returned from a visit to Sunny 
Side, the beautiful country home of the Grang- 
ers, who were old-time friends of hers. 

In reply to two or three requests for “a tale,” 
all sj)oken at the same time, Aunt Susie had 
smiled and made the remark with which our 


6 The Grangers. 

story opens, a remark that did not seem to be a 
very good beginning for a tale. 

“0 ! Auntie, tell a sure enough tale,” said 
Ruth, rather impatiently. 

“Yes ! yes ! and a great long one, too,” said 
Teddy; “long as the afternoon!” 

This was a much funnier speech spoken than 
it is written, for Teddy talked very slowly and 
dragged out those two words, “g-r-e-a-t 1-o-n-g,” 
stretching his arms at the same time until 
they seemed themselves as long as the after- 
noon ! 

“Well, dears, you know the same kind of story 
would never suit you all. Ruthie wants a short 
fairy story, I know. Teddy wants “a great long” 
one about robbers and bandits, and Maude wants 
a quiet little story with nothing scary in it, 
while Allyn is anxious for a sort of historical 
romance, with Indians and wild animals, too, 
so, as I cannot please you all at once, I will tell 
you something of my visit to the Grangers, and 


The Grangers. 1 

why they seemed to me the happiest family I 
ever knew. 

“I began to watch them very closely a few 
days after I arrived, to see if I could find the 
reason of it, and I believe that I did. 

“To begin with, there are seven children in 
the family, and yon might naturally expect 
there would he a great deal of noise there, and 
a good deal of disputing, especially as there are 
four hoys in the crowd. 

“Well, they do make a good deal of noise out 
doors, and even in doors, when they come home 
from school, hut as soon as they enter the sitting- 
room door, a little nickel-plated hell that hangs 
just there goes Tinkle ! tinkle P and in a moment 
everybody remembers. 

“The hoys go to the hack hall to hang up hats 
and school bags, and the girls go to the nursery 
to have faces and hair ready for dinner. The 
boys go to their own room for the same purpose, 
and then, the very moment the dinner bell 


8 The Grangers. 

sounds, every one of them moves to the dining- 
room. There is no running and scuffling to get 
in first, or "for seats, or for anything; no, not 
even for potatoes!” 

Here a smile passed round the audience, but 
Aunt Susie did not say anything about it, or 
even wonder why ! 

“I must tell you the children’s names just as 
they come. Rob’s the eldest, then Gerald, called 
‘Jerry’ for short, then Lucy, then Ethel, then 
Rosebud, then the twins, Marcolme and Barnett, 
known as Mar and Bar. The twins are just be- 
ginning to come to the table, and, of course, 
they sit one on either side of mamma. 

“Rob takes care of Rosebud, the youngest 
girl, and Jerry sits between Lucy and Ethel, so 
that he may help them if necessary. 

“They do not all try to talk at once, and do 
not seem to find it hard for some one else to 
speak first ; and if any one wishes to speak or to 
be helped while some of the grown people are 


The Grangers. 9 

talking, he raises his hand and at once Mrs. 
Granger says, 

‘Well, dear ?’ 

“But one of the most interesting things about 
them, to me, is their beautiful table manners, 
and I must tell you about that.” 

“O ! Aunt Susie, what’s the use of table man- 
ners any how,” said Allyn, “people go to the 
table to eat, and what is the use of fussing about 
how they do it ? All this bother about never 
eating with your knife, and not helping yourself 
first, seems like wasting time to me, ’specially 
when a boy is in a hurry all the time, either go- 
ing to school, or something else.” 

“What’s the use of table manners !” ex- 
claimed Aunt Susie. “What’s the use of any 
kind of manners anywhere? I can hardly be- 
gin to tell you how useful they are ; but I want 
to say this. There are a great many things so 
universally done by people that respect them- 
selves, and want to be respected by others, that 


10 


The Grangers. 


we can hardly argue about them. We just say 
this is a custom among refined and educated peo- 
ple, and if we wish to take our places among 
* 

them we follow their customs. But it is true 
that there is a great deal of common sense at the 
bottom of most customs. Public opinion is so 
strong against this habit of eating with a knife 
rather than a fork, that if a person should sit 
down at a hotel table among strangers and use 
his knife when custom says use the fork, nine out 
of ten people who saw him would say that he was 
neither educated or refined. 

“JSTow, let me tell you how pleasantly and fun- 
nily they keep in mind these same table manners 
that you think of no use. Just inside the din- 
ing-room door is a little box hanging against the 
wall. It has a slit in the top, and on the front 
is written in gold letters, 

'Mrs. Manners' Box/ 

“If anybody forgets and talks too loud at 
table, or uses his knife except for cutting, or 


The Grangers. 11 

drops syrup on mamma’s clean cloth; whoever 
sees him or her taps on the table, and he looks 
up and remembers ! Then he drops a penny in 
Mrs. Manners’ Box, and it is put away for 
Christmas gifts for the poor children in the 
neighborhood. If anybody happens late for 
breakfast, he drops a penny, and if anybody is 
studying, or reading, or playing, and does not 
come promptly to table, he drops two pen- 
nies !” 

“ ’Twouldn’t do for us to have a Mrs. Manners’ 
Box, Aunt Susie,” said Teddy slowly; “I’d be 
dead broke.” 

Everybody laughed at this of course. 

“But where do they get the pennies ?” asked 
Ruth eagerly. 

“Why, that is one of the good family arrange- 
ments at Sunny Side. Every month their papa 
gives each one of them a small allowance of 
money, which they can spend if they do not have 
to put it in the box! 


12 The Grangers. 

“One more pleasant custom of theirs I want 
to tell you of, and then I must write a letter 
that must go by to-morrow’s mail. 

“When they go into the sitting-room they do 
not take possession of it. They go there as mem- 
bers of the family circle, they laugh and talk and 
play games together, or with some of the grown 
people, and if it is Triday evening this goes on 
until nine o’clock, when that wonderful little 
bell goes tinkle ! tinkle ! and either Rob or Jerry 
gets the Bible for Mr. Granger, everybody stops 
talking, and he has prayers. 

“The last Friday evening in every month is 
particularly interesting, because then the Man- 
ners’ Box is opened, the money counted, and 
mamma’s report is read, and a prize given to the 
best behaved boy or girl. 

“Some other time I will tell you how Jerry 
lost the prize, if you care to hear about it.” 

‘‘Yes ! yes I” came the chorus, and Allyn 
added, “Yes, I’d like to hear now of some of 


The Grangers. 13 

them doing something wrong — like the rest of 
us !” 

“Ah ! you may he sure, my dear, they do 
wrong, for they are human, but very noble boys 
and girls for all that. Now, good-bye.” 


CHAPTEK II. 


Why Jerry Lost the Prize. 

DO think that Jerry Granger was the most 



^ mischievous hoy that I ever knew,” said 
Aunt Susie, when they had gathered round her 
for another tale. 

“He began when he was such a little fellow, 
and his mother found it so hard to control his 
love for playing practical jokes. She said that 
while it was often harmless, it was nearly al- 
ways a very selfish pleasure; for very few peo- 
ple liked to he teased, or to become the victims 
of a boy’s practical joke. 

“When only three years old, he discovered a 
pan of bread that had been set to rise, and cov- 
ered it with several shovelsful of ashes. When 
his mother called him and questioned why he 
had done it he replied : 


The Grangers. 


15 


“ ‘Me was jus’ doin’ it for fun. Me wanted to 
see vat goin’ to happen. Dat’s all.’ 

“And his mother said quietly : 

“ ‘Well, Jerry, you have spoiled our supper for 
fun ; now, mother must spoil your fun. I will 
get you a biscuit and a cup of water for your 
supper, and then you must go to bed and stay 
until morning.’ 

“Jerry shed a few tears, but had too much 
sense to justify himself. And he never put ashes 
in the bread pan any more. 

“But I want to tell you how he lost the prize. 
Of course it was harder for him to get a prize 
for good behavior than for any of the others, 
just because teasing and mischief counted with 
mamma. But he was an ambitious hoy, and be- 
cause this was a hard prize to get, J erry wanted 
to win it. Maybe it would have been well for 
him to have had a better motive. 

“ ‘I mean to get the prize next month, mam- 
ma ; you see if I don’t,’ he said one Friday night. 


16 


The Grangers. 


“ ‘I hope that you will, my dear. Mother 
would he very proud for you to receive it. You 
know the prize is nothing in itself. It is only 
valuable because it shows that you can do well, 
and that papa and mamma are pleased.’ 

“ ‘It is not that I pay my children for doing 
right, hut that I want to encourage them, and to 
show them how pleasant the consequences of 
obedience and right-doing: are.’ 

“Jerry went to bed that night making many 
resolutions : 

“ ‘I won’t pull Rosebud’s curls. 

“ ‘I won’t call Mar a baby because he cries so 
easily. 

“ ‘I won’t hide Rob’s pencil, or rubber, or hook- 
strap. 

“ ‘I won’t even pull Kitty Cat’s tail to hear 
her holler. 

“ ‘I won’t’ — -but before he had finished that 
sentence he was far away in the Land of ‘Wyn- 
kin and Blynkin and Kod !’ 


The Grangers. 17 

“The next day he was so quiet and so good 
that Rob said: 

“ Merry must be sick !’ 

“ ‘Oh ! no !’ said Lucy, ‘don’t you know he is 
trying for the prize !’ 

“At breakfast, Lucy and Ethel had eaten with- 
out missing either their biscuits or handker- 
chiefs, something very extraordinary when you 
remember that Jerry was sitting between them. 

“All day Jerry wore a thick red string tied 
around his finger and a little piece of white 
paper pinned on the lappel of his coat. 

“ ‘What’s that string for, Jerry V asked Ethel 
laughing. 

“ ‘And what have you got that paper pinned 
on your coat for V 

“ ‘Oh ! just to remind me of something,’ he 
replied mysteriously. 

“Saturday night the Grangers call Sunday- 
school night, because everybody gathers around 
the table with papa and mamma and studies the 


1 8 The Grangers. 

lesson for next day, and it is generally the pleas- 
antest evening of the week. 

“Papa is the leader, but every one takes 
turns to be teacher. And the teacher feels very 
proud when some one is sent to the foot of the 
class ; for you see they have ‘head and foot’ in 
that Sunday-school class ! 

“Jerry was so quiet that his silence was almost 
oppressive. Nobody had to say, ‘0 Jerry!’ 
and the little hell did not ring once. 

“After prayers, when all the children were, 
gone, Mr. Granger said : 

“ ‘My dear, what has come over Jerry ? He is 
so quiet. Is he quite well V 

“Mrs. Granger laughed. 

“ ‘Why, certainly ! didn’t you see what a sup- 
per he ate ? You forget that he is trying hard 
for the prize this month !’ 

“ ‘Oh ! oh ! well, I must remember that.’ 

“Sunday was always an interesting day at 
Sunny Side, and Jerry passed this particular 


The Grangers. 19 

Sunday without a tinkle of the bell at home, or 
a nod from mamma at church. 

“ ‘But I never could have done it/ thought 
Jerry, “ ‘if it hadn’t been for the red string 
around my finger P 

“Sometimes in the effort to keep from teasing 
some one, his face would get very red, and it 
was hard to keep from laughing at him; but 
one of the household rules at Sunny Side was, 
‘INTo laughing at people’s efforts to do right P and 
so Jerry went to bed Sunday night with a great 
feeling of satisfaction in his heart. 

“The next Sunday was a beautiful fall day. 
The sun shone brightly. The skies were as blue, 
and the birds sang as sweetly as if it was spring 
time, and of course the children were all happy, 
and their spirits high. 

“Unfortunately for Jerry, one of his school 
mates, who was a very solemn-looking fellow, 
sat just in front of him in church. 

“This boy had very red hair, and just before 


20 The Grangers. 

service began, Jerry, recalling a joke that be had 
heard a few days before, put out his hands to 
the boy’s head, as if to the fire, and then rubbed 
them together. 

“All of the other children remembered the 
joke, and saw what he meant, and this was too 
much for their gravity, and for that of some 
large girls sitting just behind him, and Mrs. 
Granger, who had her head turned away, was 
startled by hearing a very decided, though sup- 
pressed titter from the whole family ! 

“When she glanced down from the pew, 
anxiously, Jerry’s face was very red, and he 
was trying to look very innocent and grave. 

“ ‘What is the matter V said Mrs. Granger in 
a loud whisper. 

“Nobody dared to speak for fear of laughing 
aloud. 

“ ‘Tell Jerry to come next to me.’ 

“By this time Jerry was feeling very badly. 
The red string and the white paper and all of 


The Grangers. 21 

his good resolutions together had not saved him. 
And jet afterwards, when he was talking to his 
mother and confessing how sorry he was to 
have been irreverent in church, he said: 

“ ‘But, mamma, I didn’t do it just to be irrev- 
erent. I didn’t stop to think; it just seemed 
as if I must, for Alf is such an old, solemn 
prig !’ 

“Mrs. Granger tried to make it plain to him 
that a thing may be very innocent in itself, and 
yet become wrong, by reason of circumstances. 

“ ‘Oh ! mamma, will I lose the chance of get- 
ting the prize this month V he asked in a 
troubled tone. 

“ ‘I wish you would think of the sin of irrev- 
erence, and of God’s displeasure rather than of 
the prize. I hope that I will never have to 
feel as mortified again at the behavior of one of 
my children. But remember, my dear, as to 
the prize. It is not given for perfect conduct — 
that is an impossible thing, but it is given for 


22 The Grangers. 

honest, faithful effort to obey, even in little 
things.’ 

“So Jerry was encouraged to begin again on 
Monday. 

“But, my ! he couldn’t throw water on Bob 
while he was bathing ; he ‘couldn’t do anything !’ 
as he expressed it. 

“ ‘Oh ! oh ! and there are two more Sundays, 
too.’ Jerry felt very much aggrieved. 

“ ‘Sometimes there are five Sundays,’ said 
Lucy. ‘There were five that month that I got 
the prize.’ 

“ ‘Oh ! yes ; but you are a girl, and an awfully 
quiet one at that.’ 

“Jerry did not say this scornfully. He really 
meant it as a compliment, and the Granger boys 
were trained to think that their sisters were al- 
most as lovely as mamma, and they really be- 
lieved that girls were naturally better than 
boys. 

“The weeks rolled on, and the last week of 


The Grangers. 23 

November came. Jerry’s month of trial for the 
prize would be out on Friday. He woke up on 
Monday morning with many resolutions, and a 
red string tied around each wrist. Besides the 
strings, there was the piece of white paper 
pinned on his coat. But the frosty weather, or 
the fact that Christmas was coming — something 
affected him, for he seemed perfectly wild with 
mischief. 

“Monday, he hid Lucy’s favorite doll and 
tripped up Bob. Tuesday, he was quieter and 
penitent. Wednesday, he knocked a boy down 
at school because he laughed at his ‘bracelets.’ 

“Thursday, what did he do ? Oh ! yes, he put 
salt in Lucy’s coffee on the sly ; then, in the even- 
ing, he hid behind the parlor door and scared 
poor little Mar and Bar as they were coming 
down stairs, and they both fell down, and Bar 
fell across a stick of wood and cut his forehead. 

“Mrs. Granger was afraid that Jerry had done 
the mischief, but she waited for him to confess ; 


24 The Grangers. 

for the Grangers were required to tell her them- 
selves of their own wrong-doings. She believed 
that ‘an honest confession is good for the soul.’ 
So that night when he went to his mother’s 
room for the ten minutes each of them always 
had alone with her before bed time, he began : 

“ ‘Mamma, I know I’ve lost my chance at the 
prize. Those strings don’t do a bit of good. 
When the mischief rises it seems as if I had to 
do it.’ 

“ ‘Well, dear, let me ask you something, does 
my boy ask God to help him ? This should be 
one of your first petitions every morning.’ 

“Jerry hung his head. He had never thought 
of asking God to help him about these little 
things, they were not real sins, and mamma had 
never really forbidden him to do them. 

“ ‘Try it to-morrow, will you, dear V 

“ ‘I will,’ said J erry very sorrowfully. 

“But it was too late to help him win the prize 
this time, and he saw Ethel take it, and bore it 
right bravely.” 


CHAPTER III. 


Rob's Lesson. 

rTTHE supper-bell brought the story to a 
rather abrupt conclusion, but as it was 
Friday night, and the Holmes always took 
holiday, they all begged Aunt Susie to “talk 
Grangers’ 7 again, as Allyn said. 

“Well,” said Aunt Susie, “there is a plenty 
more to tell, and I will tell you how Rob learned 
a very valuable lesson. 

“If Jerry found it hard to win the prize be- 
cause he was full of mischief, I think Rob’s 
trouble came from his temper. 

“Poor fellow! he certainly had a hard time 
trying to get the upper hand of it. 

“If he was hungry, he was cross; and, you 
know, boys are hungry so often. If anybody 
differed from him, the hot words came pouring 


out. 


2G The Grangers. 

“He had a strong will, and made up his mind 
quickly as to what he would do, and then he 
could not wait a minute or be argued with at all, 
but, as Lucy said, ‘would just fall to pieces. 7 

“So, you see, I have shown that another of the 
Grangers was not perfect. But, no matter how 
cross he was, no matter how set in his way, one 
thing Rob Granger knew, and that was the 
meaning of the word obedience. 

“When his father or mother spoke, no matter 
how angry he was, he stopped off short. Then, 
he never sulked or pouted. LTnder that quick 
temper there was a loving heart, and a sweet 
nature. 

“But when the spring days came, being in 
school, studying was a sore trial to Rob. He 
loved hunting and fishing, and all out-door sport, 
so that sometimes, when he would come out of 
school, with all his pent-up energy and love of 
pleasure, it was dangerous to tease, or to oppose 
him. 


The Grangers. 27 

“The great lesson of his life came to him just 
this way : 

“Rob was now thirteen years old, and little 
Rosebud, the youngest girl of the family, was 
his especial pet. He loved her, I think, next best 
to his mother, of all the world. 

“He came from school one day, hungry, tired, 
and eager to go fishing. Poor little Rosebud was 
taking measles that day, though nobody knew 
it. She was, consequently, very fretful, and had 
been crying for ‘Buddy’ all the morning, and 
when he came home, of course, she expected to 
be with him and to he petted. 

“But Rob was busy getting his fishing tackle 
ready, and so had not time, or thought he had 
not, to bother with Rosebud, and so, in a tone 
in which he did not often speak to her, he said : 

“ O Rosebud ! get away from here. Go ’long 
in the house to mamma. I’m going fishing after 
dinner, and have to fix up my tackle now.’ And 
he pushed her rudely away. 


28 The Grangers. 

“Poor little feverish Rosebud ! her heart was 
almost broken at these cross words, and she tot- 
tered away and threw herself down, with her 
lovely face on her arm, and sobbing pitifully : 

“ ‘O Buddy ! Buddy ! me so sick !’ 

“Row, if Rob hadn’t been hungry an<J cross, 
and going fishing in the bargain, he would have 
lifted her and coddled her to her heart’s content ; 
as it was, he said a second time : 

“ ‘Go ’long to mamma,’ and he gave her an- 
other push, and turned away to make a search 
in the tool-house for something. 

“When he came out Rosebud was gone, and 
just then the first bell rang for dinner. 

“Rob dropped his tackle and ran quickly to 
get ready for dinner, for there were only ten 
minutes between the bells. 

“When he went into the dining-room, Mrs. 
Granger said : 

“ ‘Where is Rosebud ? Who has seen Rose- 


bud ?’ 


29 


The Grangers . 

“Then Rob remembered the pleading voice in 
the yard, and his face flushed; still he did not 
offer to look for her. 

“Lucy went to the nursery, and then to the 
kitchen, but nobody knew where she was. 

“The cook had heard her crying in the yard, 
and calling ‘Buddy.’ 

“Here Mrs. Granger looked at Rob, and he 
looked up quietly and said : 

“ ‘She came to me when I was busy, and I 
sent her off, but I’ll go find her, mamma.’ 

“His heart was in the right place again, and 
he rushed out into the yard calling Rosebud, and 
beginning to feel frightened. 

“As he turned away from the tool-house, the 
last place he had seen her, he spied the dear lit- 
tle thing lying asleep on the side porch under his 
mother’s bed-room window. 

“She had sobbed herself to sleep, and was lying 
on the floor with her flushed face, and looking 
like a beautiful picture. 


30 The Grangers. 

“Hob gathered her up in his arms and took 
her into the house, kissing her as he went. She 
opened her eyes, and when she saw who was 
carrying her, threw her arms around his neck, 
saying : 

“ ‘O Buddy ! Buddy ! me love you !’ 

“If she had struck him, Rob would have 
felt a great deal more comfortable, and many 
times during the dreary days and nights that 
followed, those words rang in his ears, 

“ ‘O Buddy ! Buddy ! me love you !’ 

“She had loved him, although he had been so 
rough and unkind. And when the crisis of her 
disease came, and the doctor’s face looked grave, 
and his mother’s white face bent above their 
lovely little Rosebud, that the gardener, Death, 
seemed about to pluck, Rob slept but little, and 
hung about the door of the sick room, a very 
ghost of himself. He prayed that night as he 
had never prayed before, because he saw, as he 
had never seen before, his need of God’s help to 


The Grangers. 31 

aid him in breaking the bondage of this temper 
and the selfishness that lay behind it. 

“The burden of his prayers was, ( 0 God ! save 
Rosebud’s life, and help me to govern my 
temper P 

“And his prayers were answered, the crisis 
of the disease passed, and the dear little child 
came slowly back to life, and to her beautiful 
mission of love. So far as I know, Rob has 
never been tempted even to say a harsh or impa- 
tient word to Rosebud, though two years have 
passed since then, and he is now ready to enter 
college.” 


CHAPTER IV. 


Friday Evenings at Sunny Side. 

“HVTOW I am going to try to give you a de- 
scription of one of the last Friday even- 
ings of the month at Sunny Side. It will be 
hard, though, for so many things were combined 
to make up the enjoyment of those evenings. 

“Mrs. Granger was always finding new ways 
of making them pleasant. She always prepared 
something nice to eat for the occasion. Some- 
times it was cake, sometimes apples and candy, 
sometimes chocolate caramels, of which they 
were all fond. 

“Then they all dressed as carefully for the 
evening as if company was expected, and ‘played 
company/ as their mother expressed it. That is, 
when that wonderful little bell tinkled, they all 
entered the sitting room, the boys escorting their 


The Grangers. 33 

sisters, or leading Mar and Bar. They went up 
to their father and mother and other grown peo- 
ple, just as they w r ould do if they were invited 
guests, and spoke to each in turn. 

“ ‘Good practice/ Mrs. Granger said ; ‘that 
will save you many a moment of awkward agony 
some day.’ 

“Mr. Granger, who entered into the spirit of 
these Friday evenings as if he had nothing else 
in the world to do, generally began by reading 
the month’s reports, both their school report and 
that which their mother kept, called the ‘Be- 
havior report/ or the ‘B’ for short. Then the 
prize was awarded. After that began the enter- 
tainment of the evening. Some time during the 
evening they gathered around the piano, and 
sang very sweetly, while their mother accom- 
panied them. 

“The last Friday night that I spent there they 
had a beautiful evening. I think that Mrs. 
Granger tried to make it especially attractive 


34 The Grangers. 

because Jerry had won the prize. He had not 
done so often enough for it not to be a great 
family event ! 

“Besides, it was Ethel’s birthday, and birth- 
days were always important days at Sunny 
Side. 

“After reading the reports and opening the 
‘Manners Box,’ and counting out the money, the 
little bell rang, and Lucy rose and recited very 
prettily a little poem, called ‘Birthday Wishes.’ 
Then Mr. Granger entertained us by telling 
how he was lost in an Italian city. His cab 
driver couldn’t understand his Italian, and so 
drove him miles away from his hotel before he 
he could make him understand. After this story, 
which was very funny as Mr. Granger told it, 
Ethel, looking very rosy, and trembling a good 
deal, recited Jean Ingelow’s lovely poem, ‘Seven 
Times One.’ 

“Hext came a song by the twins, and then the 
bell from the dining-room rang. Everybody 


The Grangers. 35 

looked much surprised except Mr. and Mrs. 
Granger. 

“ ‘Why, mamma, what’s that V came in a 
semi-chorus from the children. 

“Mr. Granger replied by making a low how 
and offering his arm to Ethel. Moving for- 
ward then, he called out, ‘Fall into line and 
follow us !’ 

“Mrs. Granger escorted me, and the others 
‘fell into line’ as readily as if they had been 
drilled for it. 

“When we reached the dining-room door, 
what a pretty picture there was before us ! 

“Mr. Granger had seated Ethel at his end of 
the table, where there was a prettily iced birth- 
day cake, decked with seven little wax tapers, 
all set on card plates with something written on 
them. There was a wreath of carnations and 
geranium leaves around the base of the cake. 

“Besides this there were stands of fruit and 
other cakes, and a beautiful basket filled with 


36 The Grangers. 

neatly-wrapped bundles, and with a .card at- 
tached, on which was written, 

“ 1 For Ethel , with seven times seven good 
wishes for her birthday / 

“How everybody clapped ! and all said, ‘How 
lovely ! how nice P 

“Ethel was quite overcome with bashfulness, 
and had to be helped to open her bundles. There 
was a lovely doll, candy, a ring, two or three 
books, and her first pair of kid gloves. 

“Mr. Granger offered a short prayer, asking 
God to bless his little girl and make her a bless- 
ing, and then began a merry frolic. 

“Everybody was happy; but I must think 
that the happiest of all were the father and 
mother, who had planned so much happiness for 
their children. 

“Jerry was not forgotten all this time; his 
prize was a box of French candy, done up in 
white paper, and tied with bright red ribbon. 
There was a card on top, addressed to Master 


The Grangers. 37 

Jerry Granger, and on it was the following verse, 

which afforded much amusement : 

“ ‘ Hurrah for Jerry ! 

Let’s be very merry, 

Because the prize he has won ! 

Ah ! sometimes red strings 
Are very fine things — 

And now my poem is done ! ’ ” 

“I think the angels looked down on no hap- 
pier family that night than the household of 
Sunny Sided 7 


CHAPTER V. 


Sunday at Sunny Side. 

“ "T~ HO not think that the children at Sunny 
Side ever dreaded the coming of Sun- 
day/’ said Aunt Susie, when they were gathered 
for another “Granger talk.” 

“Their father had a very doleful experience 
when he was a small boy at boarding-school, 
which made him very anxious to make Sunday, 
if possible, the pleasantest day of the week to 
them. And Mrs. Granger was ready to help, 
you may be sure. 

“As they always retired earlier on Saturday 
than on any other night of the week, there was 
no reason why they could not rise at the usual 
hour on Sunday morning. Therefore, when the 
prayer-bell rang they were all ready, and how 
bright and fresh they looked as they gathered 


The Grangers . 39 

about the piano for the hymn which was always 
sung on Sunday mornings ! 

“After the blessing was asked at table, Mr. 
Granger would call out, 

“Mow, for last Sunday’s lesson Title and 
Golden Text !’ and somebody’s hand would be 
held up, and Title and Golden Text given. 
Then, ‘Title and Golden Text for to-day!’ 
These would be given in chorus; and then the 
question in catechism would be given and an- 
swered, and with this introduction breakfast 
would begin — and what delicious breakfasts 
those Sunday breakfasts were ! Dinner was al- 
ways a cold meal; but how many dainty, nice 
dishes Mrs. Granger could make on Saturdays 
for Sunday, and the servants in this way had a 
whole day of rest. 

“They had a ride of four miles to church ; 
but the roads were good; and how sweet the 
odor of woods and flowers was ! How gaily the 
horses trotted, and how short the way seemed ! 


40 The Grangers. 

“The afternoons were generally spent in the 
sitting-room in cold weather, and either on the 
piazza or out-doors under a grand old elm tree in 
summer. 

“Mrs. Granger knew too well how hard it was 
for a crowd of lively, healthy children to keep 
still for any length of time, not to vary the 
ways of spending the afternoons. 

“They often played ‘Guessing at Bible He- 
roes/ then they made charades and acrostics 
from the Bible, and they had two Bible scrap- 
books, which were full of stories that they had 
helped to select and cut out of papers them- 
selves. 

“Then nearly every Sunday one of the hoys, 
and mavhe Lucy or Ethel, would carry some 
delicacies to the sick or the aged among the ten- 
ants on this large farm. This Mr. Granger con- 

i 

sidered a very important part of the religious 
education of his children. 

“In this way it came about that they had a 


The Grangers. 41 

striking proof of how God takes care of those 
who go on his errands. 

“Rob and Lucy started out one Sunday after- 
noon to take some fruit to an old neighbor who 
had been sick for weeks. 

“The house was a mile and a half away, and 
on a country road that crossed the railroad about 
three-quarters of a mile from home. 

“They chatted as they went, never having a 
fear of any evil. Rob had never known what 
fear was; for if there was a rigidly enforced 
law at Sunny Side, it was that neither the ser- 
vants nor the children should ever scare any 
one, or tell ‘scary’ tales. 

“Lucy was naturally timid, hut she felt very 
safe with Rob, and went along, sometimes stop- 
ping a moment to gather flowers, and most of the 
time singing snatches of some of the familiar 
hymns. 

“The railroad crossing was on a ‘cut,’ and 
the road sloped rather steeply down to it. As 


42 The Grangers. 

there were no Sunday trains on that road, they 
held hands and ran swiftly down, laughing as 
they went, and ran almost into the arms of a 
rough, ugly-looking man, who sprang towards 
them out of the cut as they reached it. 

“Lucy screamed, but Rob, with a throb of 
fear in his heart, which was a new sensation to 
him, only said : 

“ ‘Hello ! who are you ? what do you want V 

“The man was probably the worst-looking 
human being upon whom either Rob’s or Lucy’s 
eyes had ever rested. His clothes were dirty and 
ragged, and his face was grimy. His manner 
was very threatening, though he tried to smile 
as he said, ‘What do I want ? That basket first, 
if it’s got any victuals in it, and I want that hat, 
and I’d take your coat, too, if it would fit.’ 

“All this time Lucy was clinging to Rob, and 
sobbing with terror. 

“ ‘Don’t cry, sissy. I don’t wanter take you ; 
but hurry up, and let me have the victuals.’ 


43 


The Grangers. 

“In a moment Rob remembered all be bad 
read of the desperate deeds of tramps; in an- 
other, thanks to good training, he was praying, 
‘Lord, help us, and don’t let him hurt us.’ He 
had no time for more, nor was more needed. 

“When the tramp said this, he laughed a harsh 
ugly laugh, and put his hand on Rob’s basket. 

“ ‘Please don’t take this ; it is only some fruit 
for a sick neighbor. If you will go up that 
road,’ pointing towards Sunny Side, ‘I know 
mamma will give you something to eat.’ 

“The tramp laughed again, and said, ‘A bird 
in the hand is worth two in the bush,’ jerking 
the basket from Rob’s arm as he spoke. 

“Rob’s first impulse was to resist, but what 
was he, a slight boy of thirteen, against this 
great, strong man ? And poor Lucy was almost 
dead with fright. 

“He loosened his hold on the basket, and the 
tramp took off the dainty napkin folded across 
the top and peered down into it. There were 


44 The Grangers. 

oranges and bananas and two lemons. He seized 
the bananas and began eating. 

“Just then, while Rob was debating in his 
mind whether to leave the basket and go home, or 
to wait until the man returned it. Lucy, in 
whose mind a sense of the sinfulness of stealing 
had taken the place of her fright, said in rather 
tremulous tones : 

“ ‘Did you ever learn the commandments V 
The man turned his blood-shot eyes upon her in 
astonishment, and said: 

“ ‘Yes, I learned ’em long ago, but command- 
ments don’t feed when you’re hungry.’ 

“ ‘God does, though, if you ask him,’ replied 
Lucy promptly. 

“The words were hardly out of her mouth, 
when round the sudden turn in the road came 
two gentlemen on horseback! They had been 
riding so slowly along the sandy road, and were 
so silent, that they were close upon the scene 
before they were discovered. 


45 


The Grangers. 

“In a moment they took in the situation, and 
their unexpected appearance so startled the 
tramp that he dropped the basket and ran down 
the track before the gentlemen had time to say 
a word ! 

“When they did call to him to halt he was in a 
full run, and they turned to Rob for his story, 
which he told in a few moments. 

“Both advised Rob to go home, as it was just 
possible the man would return and waylay him 
again. 

“While Rob was no coward, he very gladly 
followed this advice. 

“It was an excited group to which he had told 
his story when he reached home. 

“As for Lucy, she was glad to cuddle up in 
her mother’s lap, and play baby for awhile, and 
she said : 

“ ‘Oh ! mamma, I b’lieve I feel more sorry for 
him than scared — now.’ 

“And when Rob went to his mother’s room for 


46 The Grangers. 

‘ten minutes’ that night, he said, with a very 
thoughtful face : 

“ ‘Mamma, I know now that God hears 
prayer, for he answered mine.’ 


CHAPTER VI. 


Conclusion. 

“ r I 1 TIE Holmes were very much taken with 
the ‘Honor Roll 7 and ‘Manners Box 7 
of the Grangers, and one rainy Sunday night 
when they couldn’t go to church, they asked 
Aunt Susie if she would not talk to their mother 
about the plan. 

“Maybe we can try it, 77 said Ruth. 

“Let me tell you one thing, though, Aunt 
Susie, 77 said Allyn, “if I am going to try for 
Honor Rolls at home, you will have to make 
very few rules, and make them very simple. 77 

There was such a comical expression on 
Allyn’s face when he said this that everybody 
laughed. 

Teddy said very earnestly, “I think so, too. 77 
Ted knew that he and Jerry Granger were 
enough alike to he twin brothers. 


48 The Grangers. 

When Mrs. Holmes came they all tried to tell 
her at once what they wanted. 

She put her hands to her ears and said, “Let 
your Aunt Susie tell me, please !” 

Miss Susie then told her that they were 
anxious to try an Honor Koll, if she was willing. 

Mrs. Holmes had heard her sister speak of the 
Granger’s happy family, and the children had 
repeated some of the stories Miss Susie had 
told, and she was especially anxious to-night to 
discuss the secret of their happiness. She felt 
that it would help her as well as the children, so 
when they were all gathered around Aunt Susie 
she said : 

“Sue, what do you believe is the secret of the 
happiness of the Grangers? I think you told 
me that you never saw any of them sulk or say 
a rude word.” 

“It is this : Prompt obedience ” was the quick 
reply. “That is the secret of the children’s side. 
On the other were these two simple rules : First, 


The Grangers. 49 

Toni have too many rules , and keep those your- 
self. Second, Wear a smiling face. I do not 
ever remember bearing Nannie Granger say an 
impatient word to her children. Her patience 
seemed inexhaustible. The children all knew as 
soon as they were old enough to understand that 
their mamma meant what she said. If they be- 
gan to disobey, either that wonderful little bell, 
or a word, generally just their name spoken 
firmly, but pleasantly, reminded them.” 

“Well,” said Mrs. Holmes, “let us see if we 
can’t learn something from them. Allyn, did I 
hear you say you wanted us to have an Honor 
Roll ?” 

Everybody laughed here, because Allyn seemed 
so startled. He had hardly made up his mind 
that he wanted an Honor Roll yet, but he said : 

“Well, mamma, I suppose we could never get 
on the roll ; but if you begin right easy, maybe 
we might have a Holmes’ Honor Roll.” 

Mrs. Holmes smiled, but sadly, for she was 


50 The Grangers. 

afraid that in her fear of being too strict, and 
having too many “Don’ts,” she had erred on the 
other side. 

“Suppose you make us a few rules, mamma, 
and write them in big letters on a paper, and 
hang them all about where we can see them when 
we look up, and then let us try to keep them,” 
was Ruth’s suggestion. 

Maude was a timid, excitable child, and she 
said at once : 

“Oh ! mamma, if you do that, I’ll just be for- 
getting all the time. Can’t people live happily 
without rules?” 

“God did not think so, dear,” Aunt Susie an- 
swered. 

“What do you mean, Aunt Susie ?” asked 
Teddie in a tone of surprise. 

“Didn’t God give us the commandments? 
They are rules. And then we have a number of 
commandments that the Saviour gave — all beau- 
tiful rules by which we must live if we would 
please him.” 


The Grangers . 51 

The children were all thoughtful and went 
off to bed quietly. 

The next morning, when they came to break- 
fast table, there was a large card hanging against 
the mantelpiece, and this is what was on it : 

Holmes' Honor Hole Rules. 

Prompt obedience. 

Be ready for prayers. 

Remember that table manners count every- 
where. 

Be polite in the kitchen and on the play- 
ground, as well as in the parlor. 

It is stealing not to study faithfully. 

The Sabbath is God’s day. 

Kind words are seeds planted. 

Don’t tease. 

Be gentle. 

A place for everything, and everything in its 
place. 

“Whew !” exclaimed Allyn, “there are ten of 
them. I’ll forget the first before I get to the last 
one.” 


52 The Grangers. 

“I think not if you trust to God to help you/ 7 
said Aunt Susie. She knew that there would 
he much discussion of them — enough to fix the 
rules very firmly in their minds. 

And so the Holmes family began to follow the 
Granger’s plan from that day. 

Though Allyn talked as if he could never 
have his name on the Honor Roll, he began to 
try; and both his mother and aunt were de- 
lighted to see how soon the charm worked, not 
only with Allyn, hut with all of them. 

The Holmes family was happier than it had 
ever been, and there was not one who did not 
silently bless the Grangers, and thank Aunt 
Susie for introducing them to the Happy 
F amily. 


Toonsie.” 


ON’T you think Maltese cats are lovely? 



Abbie did ; and it was because she bad the 
dearest, loveliest one you ever saw that she 
thought so.. 

Aunt Madge had brought it to her from New 
York. When she was going away she said: 
“Abbie, what would you rather have me bring 
you than anything else ?” 

Abbie thought a minute, for there are so many 
lovely things in the world. 

“Let me see,” she said, slowly counting on her 
fingers. “A great big dollie ? No ; I’ve got one 
already. A pony? No; 'too much trouble. A 
doll piano ? No ; I’m tired of doll pianos. A — 
Oh ! I know, Aunt Madge — a boot'ful little Mal- 
tese kitty, like that one we saw the other day.” 

“But you know if you have a live pet it has 


54 


Toonsie. 


to be fed. Kitties can’t live on love or petting, 
and I am afraid that our little girl will grow 
tired of caring for her kitty, and it will suffer, 
and maybe have to be given to somebody else; 
and that would be dreadful.” 

“But, Aunt Madge” (Abbie’s eyes were flash- 
ing), “that would be ‘Injun giving/ and you 
always say that is the meanest thing !” 

For answer Aunt Madge caught up the artful 
little lawyer, who was using her own words to 
catch her, and said, with a kiss thrown in, “Well, 
well, a kittv it will be; but kitty will run away 
herself if you do not feed her well.” 

And so Aunt Madge came home with the love- 
liest little Maltese kitten. “Toonsie-Woonsie” 
Abbie called it at once, and she gave it a grand 
outfit of three neckties — a blue one, a red one, 
and a yellow one. Abbie was very happy, and 
changed Toonsie’s ribbons frequently, and took 
her to walk, and remembered to feed her every 
day for two whole weeks. 


Toonsie. 


55 


Then a big snow came, and there was so much 
to do outdoors that she hurried off to school, and 
then hurried from the dinner table; and first 
mamma remembered kitty, and then Aunt 
Madge, and then good Mammy Nancy; but 
Aunt Madge said, “This will not do, sister. I 
told Abbie she must feed Toonsie if she was 
going to claim her. What shall we do V ’ 

Mamma laughed, but Mammy said, “I know 
w’at’s de bes’ t’ing. I lub my baby, but de Lord 
holds weuns ’sponsible fur de chile, an’ we got 
to learn to lub ebeyt’ing God made ; an’ you can’t 
lub a cretur an’ den starb ’im. Le’me take 
Toonsie down to my house, an’ don’ say nutten’ 
’bout it to Abbie. See w’at she gwine to do.” 

So Mammy took Toonsie home under her 
shawl one day, while Abbie was at school, and 
Toonsie didn’t mind going, for she was used to 
being carried around. 

Dinner time came, and Abbie came home and 
ran to her mamma in great excitement. “Oh ! 


56 


Toonsie. 


mamma, we girls are going to have a show this 
afternoon ; we are going to have the two-headed 
girl, liow, mamma, don’t laugh; we are going 
to tie two dollies together, and put one dress on 
them ; and I am going to show the loveliest, 
boot’fulest Maltese cat in the United States.” 

She looked down at the rug for Toonsie as 
she spoke, hut, of course, Toonsie wasn’t there. 
“Where’s Toonsie?” she called and called, hut 
neither her kitty nor anybody else answered. 

“Mamma, have you seen Toonsie ?” 

Mamma didn’t tell a story when she said, “I 
saw her in the kitchen this morning.” 

“In the kitchen ?” Abbie didn’t wait for an 
answer, but rushed to the kitchen. 

“Maum Beckie, have you seen Toonsie ?” 

“Who, me ? Uo, chile, I don’t know nuttin’ 
’bout vour Toonsie. I got somethin’ else to do 
’sides foolin’ wid cats.” 

Maum Beckie didn’t mean this for crossness ; 
it was just her way of talking to the children. 


Toonsie. 


57 


Abbie was gone again in a minnte. This time 
she searched the yard. “Kitty, kitty ! O, Toon- 
sie-Woonsie, where are yon?” 

She looked behind the boxes, and in the wood 
house, and even up in the big oak tree where 
Toonsie liked to climb. Then she went to the 
barn and called Toonsie again. 

Kow, Mammy’s house was right behind the 
barn, and Toonsie’ s sharp ears heard her little 
mistress calling, and she mewed and scratched 
at a great rate to get out; but Mammy had no 
idea of having her plan spoiled that way. So 
she took kitty into her back room and gave her 
something to eat, “just to keep ’ee mouf shut,” 
Mammy said. Then she came out and locked 
the door, because she thought that Abbie might 
come ; and she did, in a few minutes. 

Abbie came running down to the cottage, and 
said : 

“O, Mammy, have you seen Toonsie ? I can’t 


find her.” 


58 


Toonsie. 


How, Mammy was very glad that Abbie put 
it that way. If sbe bad said, “Do you know 
where Toonsie is?” why, then there would have 
had to he a story told or her plan spoiled and 
Aunt Madge disappointed. She answered 
promptly, “Yes, honey, I seen her dis blessed 
mawnin’ when I was up to de house. Can’t you 
find her nowhar ?” 

Mammy looked so innocent and so concerned 
that poor Abbie never dreamed that the sly old 
body had Toonsie locked up behind the walls of 
that very room. 

“O, Mammy !” said Abbie, with her eyes fill- 
ing with tears and her lips quivering, “I’m so 
’fraid Toonsie is lost, and I love her so ; and we 
wanted her in our show this afternoon.” 

Mammy was getting very sorry for her “baby,” 
and was nearly ready to confess that Toonsie was 
in the other room, hut she believed in managing 
her “w’ite children,” as she called the Morgans ; 
and, besides, Aunt Madge had planned this with 


Toonsie. 


59 


her. So she said, in a very consoling tone, “Web- 
ber min’, honey ; yon g’long back to de house an’ 
git ready for your show. Maybe Toonsie ’ll 
come dong arter a w’ile. Cats is mighty hard to 
git los’ — ’specially ef you feed ’em well at 
home.” 

Poor Abbie winced under that last remark, 
“O, Mammy, I forgot to feed her sometimes, 
and maybe that’s why she has gone off” ; and she 
burst into tears and threw herself into Mammy’s 
arms. 

Mammy never could hold out against the 
children’s tears, and was just about to open the 
door and let Toonsie out, when here came three 
girls. 

“You, Abbie Morgan ! What did you run off 
for ? We’ve been hunting you everywhere, 
W’at’s the matter ?” 

Abbie didn’t want them to laugh at her tears, 
so she faced them and said, “I’ve been looking 
everywhere for Toonsie, to get her ready for the 
show. I’m ’fraid she is lost.” 


60 


Toonsie. 


“]STo, she ain’t. You’re so foolish ’bout Toon- 
sie ! Come ’long. I bet you Toonsie’s gone off 
somewhere to hunt a bird for dinner.” 

“On a ’scursion,” said another girl, “a huntin’ 
’scursion.” 

They all began to laugh, and Abbie joined in, 
though the tears were still wet on her cheeks. 
They went hack to the house, hut had hardly got 
out of sight when Mammy put on her shawl and 
her sun-bonnet, and came out of the house, lock- 
ing the door after her. She had a good-sized 
covered basket on her arm, and walked as fast 
as her rheumatic feet would let her. When she 
reached the house she went up the hack stairs to 
Aunt Madge’s room and knocked. 

“Come in,” called Aunt Madge, and Mammy 
opened the door softly, to make sure nobody else 
was there.. Then she said, “Miss Madge, honey, 
le’me lock dis yer door.” 

“All right,” said Aunt Madge, laughing. 
“You look very mysterious ; what’s the matter ?” 


Toonsie. 


61 


Mammy turned the key ; then opened the bas- 
ket and set it on the floor, and out jumped 
Toonsie. 

“Why, Mammy, what did you bring her back 
so soon for ?” 

“Miss Madge, I done wid dis t’ing. I can’t 
fool my baby no longer. W’en I see dem blue 
eyes a-runnin’ ober wid tears I liked to put 
Toonsie right in de chile’s arms. I done wash 
my han’s clean of de matter. Ef you an’ Miss 
Eller wants to keep de chile in mis’ry, you kin 
do it; but you no ’casion to count on me, for I 
don’ help no more. De t’ing done run long 
’nough, to my min’ ” ; and the old lady’s eyes 
snapped. She was quite stirred up. 

Aunt Madge laughed heartily. “I told Ellie 
you wouldn’t stand by me long,” she said. “You 
are a coward, Mammy. You know we children 
could always manage you by crying ; but I think 
myself Abbie has had a long enough lesson. 
Come here, Toonsie.” She picked up the kitten 


62 


Toonsie. 


as she spoke ; got a fresh, pretty red ribbon, took 
a card and pierced a hole in it, and then wrote 
on it : 

“ If you love me, show it, show it; 

Otherwise I’ll never know it. 

Feed your Toonsie every day ; 

Then she’ll never run away.” 

Then she put it around Toonsie’ s neck, much to 
her disgust, and put her back into the basket. 
She took down her large cloak, her hat, and a 
thick veil, and put them on ; and, without wait- 
ing to explain to Mammy, ran down the back 
stairs and around to the front door. Then she 
rang the bell. Rob opened the door. 

“This is for Abbie Morgan,” she said, and 
then was gone “quick as a flash,” as Rob told 
Abbie. 

Toonsie was scuffling and mewing terribly, 
when Rob opened the play-room door and said, 
“Abbie, look here.” 

Abbie heard the well-known voice of her be- 
loved Toonsie-Woonsie, and fairly screamed. 


Toonsie. 


63 


As she opened the basket out jumped Toonsie, 
objecting very much to the card. 

When they read the card Abbie said, “I bet 
you Aunt Madge did it. Oh ! my blessed, sweet- 
est, precious, boot’fulest kitty, I’ll never — no, 
never, no, never — forget to feed you any more.” 

And she never did. 


How Jim Began to be a 
Missionary. 


HEN Jim was not more than three years 



" * old he began to gather together all of his 
sister’s broken dolls and would play “Hopital” 
(hospital) by the hour. 

He never threw away his own broken toys 
either, but was always trying to mend them. 

And when he asked for “tales,” he was always 
best pleased with stories of adventure, especially 
with such as told of rescue from danger. 

He was the youngest child in the house, and 
as his brother and sisters went to school, he was 
obliged to amuse himself a great deal of the 
time. But Jim did not fret over this ; he was a 
happy boy, and most of the time “p’etended 
like” the dolls and chairs, or leaves or flowers, 
were people, and he was “Doctor Jim” for all. 


How Jim Began to be a Missionary. 65 

One morning he was playing out on the 
porch while his mother and aunt were sewing 
just inside the window. 

They were talking of a missionary friend and 
of what a brave thing it was for him to go so 
far away seeking lost souls, and trying to help 
the sick and suffering. 

Jim heard them, and as nothing concerning 
the sick and suffering ever escaped him, he threw 
down the broken doll that Doctor Jim had been 
trying to cure, and lay • down on the floor to 
“fink” awhile. 

“Ann’ Lilia said somebody gone off seeking 
los’ souls. 

“I wunner w’at los’ soul is? I fink I mus’ 
ask mamma. Helpin’ sick an’ suffering dat 
means make a hospital an’.div ’em medicine — 
dats w’at ! I rish I could do dat, don know no- 
body w’ats sick an’ sufferin’. I like to go an’ 
fin’ some sure ’nough sick people an’ bring ’em 
to my hospital, an’ make ’em well. If I go up 


G6 How Jim Began to be a Missionary. 

street now maybe I can fin’ somebody. If I ask 
mamma, maybe she say, ‘Ho, no, Jim, you too 
little.’ ” 

“I ain’t too little!” said Jim, springing up 
with a flushed face, and a firm purpose. “I fink 
I go now. Mamma will not scold much, an’ I 
come back pretty soon.” 

With this resolve, Jim picked up his hat, and 
started down the steps. 

His mother heard him, but supposed that he 
was going into thp garden, where he often 
played. Indeed, if she had seen him going out 
of the gate she would not have felt uneasy, for 
he was allowed to play on the sidewalk with the 
children of the neighborhood. 

But this time Jim had large plans to carry 
out, and long years afterwards he said that he 
believed that he had his first call to be a mis- 
sionary that morning. 

lie walked on until he had passed two cross 
streets, there he stopped. 


How Jim Began to be a Missionary. 67 

“These cliillen dat live on my street, dey got 
plenty hnuners’ to give ’em medicine an’ make 
’em well. I inns’ go vay down Centre st’eet vere 
mamma an’ Ann’ Lilia go some time.” 

He turned the next corner, and wandered on 
sometime, looking very hard at everybody in his 
search for the “sick an’ sufferin’.” At last his 
earnest wish was granted, for here came a boy 
with his eye tied up, and carrying a poor, sick 
baby in his arms. 

“Hello !” said Jim bravely. “W’ere you go- 
in’ ? W’at’s ze matter wiv de baby? an’ w’at’s 
you got your head tied up fur ?” 

The boy did not appreciate Jim’s kind in- 
quiries very much and would have passed on, 
but curiosity got the upper hand. He was not 
used to having nicely-dressed, clean-faced boys 
asking about his affairs as if they cared. He an- 
swered very gruffly: 

“Jeb Scooner banged my eye, dat’s w’at, an’ 
I’ll get even wid him yet. De baby’s got der 


68 How Jim Began to be a Missionary. 

whoopin’ cough. My name’s Nick Grubbin, 
w’at’s yourn ?” 

“Me name Jim. I got a hopital, an’ you 
better come dere, an’ bring de baby, too. I make 
you well quick.” 

Seeing that Nick Grubbin was laughing, Jim 
said very proudly, “I name Docker Jim — an’ 
you better come to my hopital. I make you eye 
well ; give you canna, too.” 

I am sure that he would never have succeeded 
in getting these patients but for the bait he held 
out. 

Nick Grubbin did not often taste candy, ex- 
cepting at the church Christmas celebrations, 
and the prospect of candy was a greater induce- 
ment than Doctor Jim’s treatment. 

“Say, now,” he said to Jim with a shrewd look 
on his face; “Say, now, are you a guyin’ me. If 
you do I’ll mawl you! W’ar’s your hospitle? 
I can’t carry this cryin’ baby far.” 

Jim didn’t know what “guy” meant, but he 


How Jim Began to be a Missionary. 69 

knew that he wanted to get Nick to his hos- 
pital. 

“ ’Taint far to my hopital, an’ it’s pitty dere, 
an’ my mamma an’ Ann’ Lilia live dere an’ dey 
’ll div you bwead an’ lasses, an’ canna, too, I 
pec.’’ 

Nothing more was needed, and Nick moved 
on beside the eager little missionary. 

In the meanwhile lunch-time had come, and 
Mrs. Cuthbert called, 

“Jim! Jim! come to luncheon, dear!” No- 
body answered. She put her head out of the 
window. Plenty of toys there, but no Jim. 

“Why, where can the child be ?” 

“I’ll go look him up,” said Aunt Lilia, who 
was always ready for an excuse to find Jim. 

She put on her hat and searched the garden 
and yard, and then went to the front gate and 
looked up and down the street. 

No small boy in sight. 

She went to several houses and asked for Jim, 


70 How Jim Began to be a Missionary. 

but nobody bad seen him. Then she felt a little 
uneasy, and went back home. 

“Sister, Jim isn’t anywhere in the neighbor- 
hood. I never knew him to go off out of our 
neighborhood before.” 

Mrs. Cuthbert was just the right kind of 
mother for boys. She said quietly : 

“Oh! well, Jim is not a bad boy; I do not 
think he can be in any mischief, and he certainly 
has not been stolen, for he would have roused 
the whole of Myrtle avenue if an attempt had 
been made to kidnap him.” And so they quietly 
ate their lunch and went back to work. 

Some two hours later the click of the gate 
latch was heard, and both ladies went to the 
window, and then both burst into laughter, for 
there came Jim leading his forlorn patients, 
only the number was increased by a very dirty 
girl of four or five. 

Jim led the way triumphantly, his face wear- 
ing a look of importance that would have been 


How Jim Began to be a Missionary. 71 

very funny if it had not been so touching. He 
had gone out into the highways and had gathered 
in some of the sick and suffering. 

Mrs. Cuthhert laid down her work and met 
them at the door. 

“Why, my hoy, where have you been, and 
who are these children ?” 

“W ? y, mamma, I dis vent to fin’ some sick 
an’ sufferin’ to pit in my hopital. I am doin’ 
to make ’em well, an’ you dis div’ ’em a whole 
lot ter eat, ’cause dey’s awful hung’y ; an’ Hick’s 
eye got bangded, an’ de baby’s dot de hoopin’ 
cough, an’ dis girl, she’s, she’s — a she dis corned 
to see my hopital, so she can come here w’en she 
gets sick !” 

Mrs. Cuthhert found it pretty hard work to 
control herself, but she managed to remark 
quietly : 

“Well, mother’s hoy meant right, but, you 
know, this is not a ‘sure enough hospital,’ and I 
am sorry you made the children think so. I will 


72 How Jim Began to be a Missionary . 
give them something to eat, and then they must 

go” 

Jim’s eyes grew wider and wider open, and 
began to fill with tears. 

“O, mamma ! mamma ! don’t you want me to 
help people ?” 

“Yes, but you must always ask mother first. 
You are only a little boy, and do not know how 
to work by yourself.” 

Then Mrs. Cuthbert told the children to sit 
down, while she went to get them something to 
eat. 

Poor Jim felt very badly. He stood for a 
moment with a very shame-faced expression on 
his face, but suddenly he remembered that he 
had not only promised to heal them, but to give 
them bread and meat, and candy, too. 

He went to his mother with his head bowed 
down, and said very humbly : 

“Mamma, I spec I’ll have to dive de chillen 
some candy, ’cause I promised to make ’em well 


How Jim Began to be a Missionary. 73 

an’ dat you dive ’em bwead an’ canny, too, 
maybe. I mus’ do dat, an’ I fink I ought to put 
a clean cloth on Nick’s eye, don’ you ?” 

Mrs. Cuthbert was very much touched and 
pleased, and put her arm around the little doctor 
and said : 

“Mother’s little Good Samaritan !” 

She hunted up some candy, and some clean, 
soft cloth, and then fixed a waiter of bread and 
meat, and took all out to the astonished children. 

They ate greedily, and then Mrs. Cuthbert 
bound up the boy’s eye with a clean cloth. 

When they had gone Mrs. Cuthbert explained 
to Jim why it would not do for him to try hospi- 
tal work by himself, but in her heart she thanked 
God for this missionary spirit in her boy. 

The years passed swiftly, and all the time 
Jim was trying to do the Master’s work among 
the sick and suffering, and he learned, too, what 
“lost souls” meant, and has helped to find more 
than one and lead him to J esus. 


74 How Jim Began to be a Missionary. 

When he is a man, he means to be a “sure 
enough missionary,” he says, but his mamma 
tells him that he is one now, and that he began 
to be one the day he brought his first patients 
home to his “hospital !” 


FRED’S MISSIONARY SOCIETY 
OF ONE— WHAT THEY DID. 



YE lovely day in November when it was 


more like spring than fall, two ladies were 
sitting on a broad veranda working and talking. 

They were Mrs. Neil and Mrs. Lawton, and 
they were talking about mission work, and how 
to get people interested in missions. 

Now, while they were talking, Fred Lawton, 
who was the son of one of the ladies, was lying 
on the lawn near the porch, resting after a long 
spin on his bicycle, and he could hear all that 
they said. 

“What can we do about it ? Our society is 
not composed of rich people,” said Mrs. Neil. 

“We can pray,” replied Mrs. Lawton, with a 
bright smile and with a strong ring of faith in 
her voice. 


76 What Fred's Missionary Society Did. 

“Yes, I know that, but don’t you think that 
working and praying need to go hand in hand ?” 
Mrs. Ffeil’s tones were rather doleful, and if 
Mrs. Lawton had not been such a cheery woman 
she would have been almost disheartened, for 
nearly all the members, including the president, 
talked the same way. 

“Yes, my dear, they go together, hut not al- 
ways hand in hand, for I think praying goes 
ahead, gets directions, and then points the way to 
working. I do not feel hopeless. Let us agree 
to do much praying to-night, and until day after 
to-morrow to he shown how to stir up those who 
ought to work and to give. Our committee must 
not be allowed ever to fear debt. I feel that God 
will show us what to do.” 

In the meanwhile Fred Lawton was hearing 
all, and as he lay there, so still that his mother 
thought he was asleep, he was thinking to him- 
self, “Why can’t I do something for missions, 
too? Girls work and belong to societies. It 


What Fred's Missionary Society Did. 77 

seems strange that there are no more Boys’ Mis- 
sion Bands. I don’t see why men and hoys 
ought not to care for missions as well as women 
and girls. Jesus is just as much our Lord and 
Master, and has done as much for us, as he did 
for them.” 

You will see, from these thoughts that were 
passing in Fred’s mind, that he was a Christian. 
Yes, two years before, when he was twelve years 
old, he had stood up and professed before God 
and men that Jesus was his Saviour, and had 
promised to follow him. And he had tried to 
live as a Christian hoy should. He read his 
Bible and prayed, and was a regular attendant 
at church and Sunday-school and prayer-meet- 
ing, but that may have been owing to his moth- 
er’s faithful oversight. He remembered as he 
lay on the grass that he had never really done 
anything for Jesus. 

Just then he recalled a story he had seen 
somewhere of a boy that asked his father, who 


Y8 What Fred's Missionary Society Did. 

was a farmer, for money to put into the plate for 
missions, and his father, having an Irish potato 
in his hands, threw it to him and said, 

“Take that ! it’s all you’ll get from me.” 

The hoy took the potato, cut the slips and 
planted them in a piece of ground his father had 
allowed him for a garden, and from them he 
raised two bushels of very fine potatoes, and had 
enough left for a second planting. He got a 
good price for his potatoes, and was so encour- 
aged that he planted more the next season, and 
made a great success of what he called his “Mis- 
sionary Potato Patch.” 

“I can’t plant potatoes now,” thought Fred; 
“I wonder what I can do instead ?” 

What was it that whispered “Chewing-gum” 
in his ear just then? It must have been the 
good angel that we believe every one has. 

Anyway, the next thing Fred said to himself 
was : 

“Well, I can save about ten cents this week 


What Fred's Missionary Society Did. 79 

on chewing-gum. I guess I can have a mis- 
sionary society of one,” and he laughed to him- 
self at his own idea. “It will be like the hoy 
that said he was head of his class, and when his 
father asked him how many there were in the 
class, he answered, ‘Teacher and me!’ I’ll he 
president and society, too. I’ll try planting 
potatoes in the spring if Uncle Tom will show 
me how, and, in the meanwhile, I’ll watch out 
for a chance to make some money for my so- 
ciety.” He had no sooner thought that than he 
remembered what his mother had said about 
praying, going ahead and pointing out the way 
for working. His face grew more grave. 

“I must ask God to help me, too.” 

See how God was beginning to answer Mrs. 
Lawton’s prayer already, by making Fred not 
only anxious to work for missions, but making 
him see the need of prayer, too. 

Fred found that just as soon as he began to 
work for Foreign Missions he began to want to 


80 What Fred's Missionary Society Did. 

know more about what his own church was do- 
ing for missions, and he began to read The Mis- 
sionary , and the bits of news about mission work 
that were scattered through the papers. 

All this time he was finding ways to make his 
missionary money and to lay it up. 

“Mother,” he said one evening, “let me saw 
wood for you on Saturday, and pay me just what 
you pay Uncle Lewis V 9 

Mrs. Lawton thought for awhile, then she 
said, “Well, dear, once in a while I will, but I 
couldn’t do it regularly, because that would be 
taking old Lewis’ actual living from him, for, 
you know, he supports himself by sawing wood ; 
but, as he saws for other people, I could give you 
the sawing occasionally.” 

So the next Saturday Fred earned his money 
by sawing. 

It was not any easy thing to give up the whole 
of his Saturday morning to this work, especially 
when two or three boys were standing around 
and tempting him to stop and play. 


What Fred's Missionary Society Did. 81 

“What makes you so awfully industrious any- 
how, Lawton ?” asked one of the boys. 

“Earnin’ his Christmas money, I bet,” said 
another. 

Still E red kept on sawing. Some boys would 
have been afraid to tell for fear of being laughed 
at, but Ered Lawton was not a coward, and the 
boys all knew that. 

“I say, Lawton, what’s the use of being so 
mysterious ? What’s up ?” 

“I don’t mean to be mysterious, but I don’t 
think I’m bound to tell everything.” 

Then Ered thought, “Maybe if I tell them 
they will begin to work, too.” He remembered 
a favorite verse of his mother’s, “Provoking 
each other unto love and good works.” 

He stopped sawing, and, raising his flushed 
face, said pleasantly, “Well, boys, if you must 
know, I’m trying to make some money to give 
for Eoreign Missions. Women and girls work 
and have societies and mission bands, and I 


82 What Fred's Missionary Society Did. 

don’t see why boys can’t do so, too. And since I 
have begun to work, I find I want to know 
something about what I am working for, and, I 
tell yon, some of the best stories I ever read, are 
the lives of missionaries. Talk about heroes in 
battles ! they don’t stand anywhere near some 
of those brave fellows that have lost their lives 
in the effort to tell the heathen about Jesus.” 

The hoys looked at him in astonishment. 
Fred would have been astonished himself if he 
had taken time to think of what he had said. 

“Where did you read about them ?” asked one 
boy with some interest. 

Fred answered quickly, “If you would like to 
read something about missions I will lend you 
my Missionary or some books whenever you 
w^ant them.” 

The boys were hardly ready for that yet, and 
began quickly to talk of something else, but the 
seed was sown; and when they went, away a 
thought struck Fred that made him run to the 


What Fred’s Missionary Society Did. 83 

house very promptly when he heard the dinner- 
bell ring. 

“Mother, I have a new idea that I would like 
to tell yon about sometime/’ he said at the table. 

“Well, come to me just before supper and I 
will hear what it is.” 

Just before it was time to light the lamps was 
a favorite time for their chats. F red loved these 
talks, and this evening he was particularly will- 
ing to come in. 

“Here you are, my hoy. How for your idea,” 
said his mother, as he cuddled down at the floor 
at her knee. 

He soon told his mother of the talk with the 
boys in the morning, and especially that one of 
them had asked where he could read about the 
brave missionaries. 

“And I thought, mother, that this was the way 
God meant me to do mission work. I might 
have a sort of circulating library of mission 
books among the boys, and that when they read 


84 What Fred's Missionary Society Did. 

of the wonderful lands, and the brave lives of 
the missionaries, they may get interested and 
give, too.” 

“Why, yes!” exclaimed Mrs. Lawton, clap- 
ping her hands, “and who knows but that some 
day you will have a regularly organized Boys’ 
Mission Band ? And now, we must go to work 
and look for some very interesting books, 
‘Mackay of Uganda,’ or ‘The Life of Allan 
Gardener,’ or our own ‘Samuel Lapsley.’ ” 

Fred did lend the hoys some numbers of his 
Missionary and some books. At first only two or 
three cared for them, but the number increased 
to six, and, with Mrs. Lawton’s encouragement 
and help, they formed the F. M. B. Circle, and 
are all reading and working and giving to the 
great cause of Foreign Missions. And this is 
what Fred’s Missionary Society of One did! 


FTAIPS CUP OF COLD WATER, 


<< 



AN ! Oh ! Nan ! 
child !” 


Nannetta ! where is the 


Mrs. Wilford stood at the top step of the 
porch and shaded her eyes with her hands, while 
she looked right and left for her stray little girl. 

The 'Wilfords lived at the very end of the 
pretty village of Bellton, and their beautiful 
lawn sloped gently down to a noisy little stream 
that emptied its clear waters into the river a mile 
away. It was one of the bluest of May days, the 
sunshine was warm, but the breeze was fresh and 
came laden with all sorts of delicious odors it 
had caught on its way across the meadows and 
gardens. 

There were birds singing and busy butterflies 
flitting from one young blossom to another, and 
the bees were humming those drowsy tunes they 
love to sing. 


86 Nans Cup of Cold Water. 

The lilacs were in full bloom, and the trellis 
by the porch was quite covered by a large wis- 
taria vine. 

Everything out doors seemed newly made — 
the very day looked as though fresh from God’s 
hand. 

But where was Nan ? 

No wonder Mrs. Wilford could not find her 
in doors. Nan did so dearly love to wander 
about and dream. 

A lazy girl you think ? 

No! not lazy exactly. Nan’s mind and her 
imagination were active enough, but she was a 
“dreamer” rather than a “doer.” 

This morning, wooed by the flowers and the 
sunshine, she had gone down to the water’s 
edge, and was lying in the shade of a large elm 
tree, on a mossy bank, with her eyes on the 
clouds that were drifting slowly past an opening 
in the branches of the elm. 

And it was a pretty dream that she was dream- 


Nans Cup of Cold Water. 87 

ing. Mr. Goodman, her pastor, had talked to 
the children about “Cups of Cold Water/ 7 the 
day before, and had told them how much chil- 
dren could do to cheer the poor and the sorrow- 
ful. And now Nan was busy building a pretty 
story of how she found some people who were 
dreadfully poor, and had taken them food and 
clothing, and how everybody had learned to 
know her as the little King’s daughter. 

Kow all the time Kan lay half asleep, and 
dreaming of beautiful things to do, Mother 
was searching for her to take an actual cup of 
fresh water to Mintie, her sick brother. Queer 
wasn’t it ? 

At last Mrs. Wilford remembered that the 
elm was one of Kan’s favorite resorts, and fol- 
lowed her there. 

“Why, Kan! Mother has searched every- 
where about the house, and had begun to think 
that you had run off visiting, when she remem- 
bered the elm. What are you dreaming of ? for 


88 Nans Cup of Cold Water. 

I feel sure that that is what my little daughter 
is after, lying on the ground with neither book 
nor dolly.” 

Mrs. Wilford* was Nan’s best friend, and she 
was never afraid that Mamma would laugh at 
her dreams, so she said in quite an eager tone : 
“Oh! mamma, I’ve just been thinking of the 
cups of cold water that Mr. Goodman told us 
about yesterday. And I have been imagining 
some that I will give if papa moves to L — , or if 
some dreadful poor people would come here to 
live, like those we read about in the library 
hooks.” 

“But do you think, my dear, that ‘dreadful 
poor people’ are the only ones that need cups of 
cold water? Have you forgotten that when 
Jesus was talking to the disciples about the ‘cup 
of cold water,’ he did not say to the ‘dreadfully 
poor,’ hut ‘to one of these little ones,’ and I think 
that he meant little children and the poor hum- 
ble too; indeed, everybody that needs a cup of 


Nans Cup of Cold Water. 89 

cold water. And my little girl can best carry 
ont the command of our Master by caring for the 
fretful, sick little brother up stairs, who is too 
helpless to wait on himself, and who Mamma 
is obliged to leave sometimes.” 

“Oh ! Mamma, I really forgot about Mintie. 
Yes ! I will go to him right away, and take 
him some fresh water just from the well. A 
sure enough cup of cold water,” she added, smil- 
ing. 

She ran quickly to the house, and bringing 
out a pitcher, she took it to the well and began 
to draw the water quite bravely, but Yan did 
not love to do this, and when she had drawn the 
water and poured out a cup full, and taken it 
up to the darkened room, where the doctor had 
ordered that poor little Mintie should lie, the 
room seemed very close and dark, and Yan felt 
as if she was practicing a great deal of self-de- 
nial, indeed, she felt rather a martyr until she 
saw the bright expression that came into the poor 


90 Nans Cup of Cold Water. 

little pale face as lie said, “Oh, Hanna, me so 
gad ! Me was so fursty” (thirsty). 

Then her good angel whispered to her, “Stay 
and amuse him awhile. He is one of the little 
ones that Jesus has given you to care for.” 

And Han listened to that voice, and when at 
last, under the spell of her singing, the tired 
eyes drooped and closed, and little Mintie fell 
into a peaceful sleep, Han crept softly away 
from his side, and went down to the porch. It 
seemed to her that the sky was bluer, and the 
flowers brighter, and that the birds’ songs were 
sweeter, and as she sat down on the step and 
leaned her head against the post, she under- 
stood as she had never done before : 

“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least 
of these my little ones, ye have done unto me.” 


ONLY AN ENGLISH SPARROW. 



OUR boys, ranging in age from ten to thir- 


teen, with sling-shots, after one poor little 
English sparrow. 

That was what grandmother saw when she 
looked out of her window one afternoon not 
very long ago. 

The old lady’s hair was white, and her eyes 
were dim, but the fire of sufficient youth was in 
her breast to flush her cheek at the sight of this 
unequal warfare. 

“Hugh ! Artie, come here one moment.” 
Hugh and Artie were her grandsons, and very 
fond of “Gramma,” after their fashion, but just 
now r their sport was very exciting. 

The four brave boys, after a half hour’s peep- 
ing and peering and dodging, had about found 
the nest of this terrible enemy, and were ready 


92 Only an English Sparrow. 

to dart their cruel shots into the bosom of the 
young family. They did not respond, therefore, 
with their usual promptness to grandmother’s 
request. 

“Wait just a minute, Gramma! We ’most 
got ’em.” And Hugh crept to another position 
as the clever sparrow flew to a higher perch. 

“How, dear hoys ! now ! I have something 
important to say right now, to all of you.” 

Curiosity got the better of war-like intentions 
for the time, and all four boys rushed into her 
room, dim visions of various refreshments pre- 
senting themselves at once to their imagination. 

“Boys, I have a question to put, and I will 
give a large banana to the hoy that answers it 
best. . How many sparrows would it take to 
make a boy the size of Will, here ?” putting her 
hand on the shoulder of the smallest boy. 

“Ha ! ha ! ha ! the idea ! why, Gramma, what 
you ask that for ?” 

“ ’Bout a thousand !” 


Only an English Sparrow. 93 

“Lots of ’em/ 7 cried Jack, who had been 
weighed that morning. 

“What do you want to know for, anyhow, 
Gramma ?” asked Hugh, who was quick-witted, 
and knew something of grandmother’s opinion 
of bird-killing and nest-robbing. 

“Well, my dears, hoys think a great deal of 
courage ; so do I. And many hoys will not fight 
those who are smaller and weaker than they are, 
and a small boy that can whip a big hoy is con- 
sidered a hero. Isn’t that so ?” 

All heads nodded yes. 

“Well, now, here are four hoys — of course, 
they are brave hoys ! — who are all after one poor 
little sparrow and a nest, and who have been 
after it for a full half hour with four sling- 
shots and a ladder to help them — brave hoys! 
And now, here’s the question: 

“What for ?” And grandmother laughed and 
shrugged her shoulders until every hoy seemed, 
somehow, no bigger than a sparrow! 


94 Only an English Sparrow. 

They looked very curiously at her, and I think 
that they felt very curiously, too ; but Hugh had 
pluck enough to say, “Why, Gramma ! it’s only 
an English sparrow.” 

Then Jack plucked up courage and added, 

“They are the meanest birds in the world, 
Mrs. Morton, and a nuisance everywhere. Why, 
papa kills ’em ev’y time he gets a chance, and 
so does Mr. Jones and Mr. Smith and Mr. 
Brown.” 

“They mess up ev’ything so with their ole 
patches of straw,” chimed in Artie. 

“They’re no use, anyway, Mrs. Morton.” 
Everybody put in some word, and all the time 
grandmother’s head was shaking “Ho! no!” 
and the banana was not to he seen. 

“How, Hugh, you say ‘only an English spar- 
row?’ Ho you think that God ever made any- 
thing without a purpose ? 

“They have their mission in this world, and it 
surely is not to he a mark for sling-shots and 


Only an English Sparrow. 95 

arrows and guns. Besides, are yon sure that you 
are killing them because they annoy people, or 
just for fun ?” 

Honest Hugh hung his head. Indeed, none 
of the heads were very high. 

“No use, anyhow ! Now, some rainy day, if 
you will all come to me, I will read to you the 
story of some funny farmers who had all the 
birds of the neighborhood killed, and what came 
of it ; and, take grandmother’s word for it, then 
watch all the boys you know who just go about 
killing birds and robbing nests for fun, and tell 
me if they are noted for bravery and manli- 
ness. 

“And watch too how they treat sisters, and 
mammas, even. 

“And the boys who beat their goats and their 
dogs — and the boys who think it ‘jolly’ to tie 
tin cans of burning oil to cats’ tails to see the 
fun!” 

What was it, I wonder, that made Jack look 


£)6' Only an English Sparrow. 

down at his shoes so hard? and that made his 
cheeks so rosy ? 

Hugh smothered a laugh, too, but of course 
it was just at the idea of such a thing. 

“And now,” said Grandma, with a sweet 
smile, “my sermon is over, and I guess that as 
nobody made the best answer, everybody must 
have a banana.” 

And the dear old grandmother opened that 
wonderful bureau drawer that always held 
something nice, and brought every boy a large 
banana. 

The boys thanked her and then went slowly 
back to the lawn, where they held a grand coun- 
cil of peace, I suppose, for the next morning 
when grandmother came down to breakfast she 
found the following note laid on her plate, which 
we give for the benefit of other boys : 

Dear Gramma, — We have talked it over, and 
we believe you are ’bout rite, an’ we are never 
goin’ to fite four to one against the English 


Only an English Sparrow. 97 

sparrow any more. But if they build on the 
porch we will have to pull the straw down, hut 
not kill them. 

Your atfecshunate, 

Hugh, Artie, Jack and Will. 


The Show-Bank. 


A True Story. 


OHNNY and Mary and Bart and Julie 



^ lived in lower South Carolina, where snow 
is a rare sight, and so, when they had what 
seemed a heavy fall of snow, they were highly 
delighted. Their father, seeing their delight, 
said, “Make the most of it, children, for it w T ill 
soon be gone.” 

This remark set Johnny and Mary to think- 
ing how they could keep some snow. They 
stopped snowballing for a while, and called a 
consultation. 

Bart was for digging a hole, and filling it, 
and then covering it over. 

“ETo,” said little Julie, “that wouldn’ be con- 
ven’ant. People would walk over it, and it 
might get dirty.” 


The Snow-hank. 


99 


“Yes, and other people might steal it,” said 
Mary. “I know ! I know !” she added, clapping 
her hands. “Come into the play-room, and I 
will show yon.” 

She led the way eagerly to the play-room, and 
to a trunk, which was the usual place for their 
toys. All of these she threw out on the floor, 
and then, looking up with a smile of triumphant 
satisfaction, she said, “There, that’s the very 
place for it !” 

There was a prompt agreement as to its fit- 
ness, and. the boys laid hold and dragged it out 
into the yard, unobserved by any older or wiser 
folks than themselves. They soon scraped to- 
gether enough snow to pack it quite full; then, 
shutting it down and locking it, all four tugged 
at the large trunk, dragging it up the steps to 
the door of their play-room, which opened on the 
back yard. 

“We’ll call it the Snow-bank,” said Johnny, 
“and whenever we want snow to eat, or to play 
ball with, we can just come and get it.” 


100 


The Snow-bank. 


“Only,” added Mary, who was the provident 
member of the party, “we mustn’t take much at 
a time, or it will not last.” 

A trio of voices called, “Course not !” 

And Johnny turned the key again, drew it 
out, and was about to pocket it, when Mary said, 
with much dignity, “I was the one that proposed 
it. I think I ought to carry the key.” 

“All right,” was Johnny’s good-natured re- 
ply, as he handed it to her. And they went back 
to their play in the yard. 

The next day was one of those balmy, sun- 
shiny days that belong to Carolina, and the 
children went joyously otf to school. 

During the morning a mysterious stream of 
water was seen trickling into the sitting-room. 
Nobody knew where it came from, or what it 
meant. Finally it was followed up and traced 
into the play-room, and across the floor to a 
trunk that was locked, which was a still more 
mysterious discovery. The trunk was shaken, 
and a sound of water was heard inside. 


The Snow-bank. 


101 


Just then the children came in from school, 
and, hearing voices in the play-room, went in to 
see what it meant, for this was their own pecu- 
liar province. 

“Children, what is the meaning of this ? 
Where is the key of this trunk, and what is 
in it ?” 

Johnny’s face flushed, and he hung his head. 
Mary pulled the key slowly out of her pocket. 

“Here’s the key, mamma,” she said very 
meekly, teased already, aud conscious of having 
done a very absurd thing. 

“We only tried to save some snow,” she 
added in a low tone. 

When the trunk was opened, of the beautiful 
snow that they had packed the day before there 
remained only a dingy lump in one corner, and 
so much of dirty water as had not leaked out. 

Papa and mamma felt too sorry for the poor 
children to laugh at them. 































































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